NCJ Number
99935
Date Published
1985
Length
373 pages
Annotation
This book discusses the definition and structure of organized crime, its history and activities, as well as efforts to combat it through laws and law enforcement.
Abstract
Chapters on the definition and structure of organized crime critique various definitions, present the author's working definition, and compare the bureaucratic/corporate< analogy with the patron-client network view of organized crime. The structure of organized crime is viewed as a continuum ranging from the less formal Italian-American crime families to the highly structured outlaw motorcycle gangs. The historical review of organized crime covers the late 19th century to the present. A description of the history and culture of Southern Italy provides background for the history of the Mafia, and America's 'robber barons' are examined as antecedents to the 'godfathers' of organized crime. Also discussed are the factors influencing the growth of organized crime during the prohibition era. Organized crime in New York and Chicago are given particular attention. Descriptions of the business of organized crime address gambling, loansharking, drug trafficking, theft, sex, and organized crime in labor and business. Chapters on law and law enforcement designed to combat organized crime cover Federal statutes and their enforcement, intelligence, investigative techniques, and policy issues. Figures, tables, approximately 600 references, and name and subject indexes.